Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the holding company for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), is betting big on exports of large, 125*125 mm billets that are being produced from its medium merchant structural mill (MMSM). Speaking to SteelMint, RINL Chairman-cum-Managing Director P.K. Rath said, there has been a steady stream of enquiries for the large billets measuring 125*125 mm from the Middle East and demand for semis overall is strong.
“If we get the right price, then we will go ahead with the exports…I am hopeful demand for such products will rise steadily as economies slowly emerge out of the lockdown,”Rath emphasised.
RINL is not the first company to manufacture such billets and other integrated producers have also been manufacturing these products which need to be rolled through the continuous casting route.
Volume ramp-up not an issue
However, seeing the export demand for semis, RINL felt it should manufacture this product from its rolling mill, which it had not been doing until then, through certain modifications. So RINL began with a small volume on a trial basis initially, not for the export market but for domestic use. “The total production volume was 500 t which was carried out on a trial basis for supply to a domestic consumer,” Rath informed.
But we subsequently realised since there was a demand for semis, these large billets could be exported because these have much better metallurgical properties. Rath explained, adding, And, so we are thinking of exporting these.
The Middle East is the main geography where the exports would be targeted, it is learnt.
Rath is confident that RINL can produce whatever the requirement is, even in huge volumes of 2,000-3,000 t per day, if required. “The mill has a capacity of 90,000 t per month and if there is demand for the product, we can easily churn out about 3,000 tonnes per day both for the exports markets and domestic consumers. RINL generally runs its mills at 100% efficiency and rated capacity so production can be ramped up any time, provided demand exists,”Rath elaborated, indicating that increasing volume at a short notice will not be an issue.
Rolling stand tweaked
In fact, RINL started rolling out its 125*125 mm billets after modifying its roll stands since it does see good scope in marketing the product. Previously, its MMSM rolled out billets of a maximum size of 90*90 mm only. As per information, trial operations were carried out successfully for the IS:2830 grade. But, other grades can also be rolled out depending on the requirement.
This is a new product profile added to RINL’s product basket to meet the demands of both domestic and international markets. RINL produces special steels, including wire rod coils, rounds and billets of different grades and dimensions to meet the demands of the infrastructure, construction and auto industries.
By Madhumita Mookerji
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